Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the participation of SMEs in the NHS supply chain; and whether he plans to introduce measures to reduce barriers to entry for SMEs in NHS procurement processes.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) have a vital role to play in supporting our health service to deliver on its priorities for patients and staff.
NHS England is committed to improving its engagement with SME suppliers and helping to make it easier for them to do business with the National Health Service. To help ensure SMEs have a voice within the NHS, NHS England has established an SME Advisory Group, which has worked with NHS England to improve the opportunities for SMEs to engage with and compete for NHS business.
In February 2024, NHS England published an SME action plan that outlines how the NHS will better engage, communicate with and learn from the SME community, improve visibility of NHS opportunities and encourage SME participation in commercial activity. The plan is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/small-and-medium-enterprises-action-plan
Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of discrepancies between voter identification documents and electoral register entries caused by (a) failure to update identification documents of a change of surname following marriage (b) other named-related reasons on trends in the level of voter participation; and what steps her Department is taking to communicate the need for identification documents to match the electoral register for future elections.
Answered by Rushanara Ali
As set out in the Elections Act 2022, where there is a discrepancy between the name shown on an elector’s identification document and how their name is recorded on the electoral register, that elector may still use that document if they are able to explain the discrepancy to the satisfaction of the presiding officer, and may provide further evidence (e.g. a marriage certificate) when doing so
This information is set out on poll cards and is displayed in polling stations.
No assessment has been made on the potential impacts that such discrepancies might have on levels of voter participation.
Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will (a) take steps to make identity theft a police-recordable crime and (b) make an assessment of the adequacy of support given to victims of identity theft.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The act of stealing personal information, and using it for criminal means and gains, is already outlawed. This includes through legislation such as the Fraud Act 2006, Computer Misuse Act 1990 and the Data Protection Act 2018.
The most effective way of preventing identity theft is to improve the safety and security of the identity systems we use and empower people to protect themselves from identity theft, particularly online.
We have introduced a checklist providing advice and steps on how to prevent the misuse of identities which can be found here:https://data.actionfraud.police.uk/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Identity-theft-victims-checklist.pdf
Further information about staying safe online and to avoid identity theft-enabled fraud can be found at: https://stopthinkfraud.campaign.gov.uk/
Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of equalising paid time off entitlements for both adopters.
Answered by Justin Madders
In the Plan to Make Work Pay the government committed to a Review of the parental leave system. The Review will provide us with an opportunity to consider the current framework of parental leave entitlements and how they should operate as a holistic system to improve the support available for working families. Planning work is already underway and I can confirm the review will look at Adoption Leave and Pay and Paternity Leave and Pay.
Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to introduce (a) protections and (b) support mechanisms for leaseholders living in buildings under 11 meters.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Irrespective of building height, we consider it imperative to support leaseholders, and ensure that fire safety risks are assessed and, if necessary, remediation action is taken promptly.
The department continues to review cases where cladding remediation work is proposed, which includes undertaking audits of fire risk appraisals of external walls to make sure that proposed works are necessary and proportionate. We also press managing agents and building owners not to pass on costs to leaseholders and explore cost recovery options.
Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of childcare for children under the age of two.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The government’s Plan for Change sets out a commitment to give children the best start in life, breaking the link between background and opportunity.
In the 2025/26 financial year alone, we plan to provide over £8 billion for the early years entitlements. This is a more than 30% increase compared to 2024/25, as we roll out the expansion of the entitlements, so eligible working parents of children aged from nine months can access 30 hours of funded childcare.
Since September 2024, eligible parents have been able to access 15 hours of government-funded childcare (over 38 weeks a year) from the term after their child turns 9 months. This will double to 30 hours from September 2025.
The department continues to monitor the sufficiency of childcare places. The key measure of sufficiency is whether the supply of available places is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents and children.
Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, we discuss what action the local authority is taking to address those issues and, where needed, support the local authority with any specific requirements through our childcare sufficiency support contract.
Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that applicants' wellbeing is considered when undergoing an Access to Work assessment.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Access to Work applications are reviewed by Case Managers who work with customers to understand what barriers they may be experiencing within the workplace in relation to their health condition or disability. Staff take part in training events that provide them with information on a range of disabilities and health conditions so that they can better understand the challenges experienced by applicants.
When required, staff will work with specialist teams that help to identify customers who are vulnerable or have complex needs who require more advanced support.
Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the procurement of the A400M Atlas Aircraft on (a) national security, (b) the number of skilled jobs in the defence sector in (i) Filton and Bradley Stoke constituency and (ii) England and (c) economic growth.
Answered by Maria Eagle
The A400M aircraft entered service in 2014, primarily to provide tactical airlift and strategic oversize lift capabilities. In addition to this remit, A400M also has a 24/7 national standby commitment and has supported the UK Border Force with maritime reconnaissance in the English Channel, and long range search and rescue.
A400M wing production has sustained approximately 270 skilled jobs at Airbus' Filton base and it is estimated that almost 900 jobs have been sustained in the supply chain across the UK. To date, A400M production has contributed £1.5 billion to the UK economy.
Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of Disability Living Allowance assessments.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is a non-contributory, non-means-tested, additional cost benefit and can be worth over £9,500 a year, tax free. Individuals can choose how to use the benefit, in the light of their individual needs and preferences. The benefits have been consistently uprated in line with inflation since they were introduced and were, like other benefits, increased by 6.7% from 8 April 2024.
Decisions on claims to DLA for children are made by DWP Case Managers. They receive comprehensive training and are supported by a range of regularly updated guides, such as the Decision Makers Guide and comprehensive medical guidance. They also receive disability-specific training and have the support of medical services and quality assurance managers.
Anyone who believes that the decision on their claim is incorrect, including the length of the award, can ask for Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) within one month of the date stated on the decision letter.
Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure adequate levels of financial education in schools.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
Financial education currently forms a compulsory part of the National Curriculum for mathematics (at key stages 1 to 4) and citizenship (at key stages 3 and 4). The primary mathematics curriculum includes arithmetic knowledge that supports pupils’ ability to manage budgets and money, including, for example, calculations with money and percentages. In secondary mathematics, pupils are taught topics such as how to calculate compound interest, which is relevant for personal finance. In citizenship, pupils are taught the function and uses of money, how to budget and manage credit and debt, as well as concepts like insurance, savings and pensions.
High and rising school standards are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life. The government‘s ambition is for a broad, rich and cutting-edge curriculum that equips children and young people with the essential knowledge and skills required to thrive as citizens, in work and throughout life. This is why the government announced a Curriculum and Assessment Review on 19 July 2024, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE.
The Curriculum and Assessment Review group has launched a call for evidence. The review group has set out a number of key questions and themes where it would particularly welcome evidence and input from the sector and stakeholders to help direct the focus of the review and engagement with the sector over the autumn term.
The views of young people, parents, teachers, lecturers, leaders and other education staff and experts are pivotal to the recommendations, so that the panel can draw on the wealth of expertise and experience across the sector. Anyone can access and respond to the call for evidence.